Esters having a structure represented by a formula RfCH2CH2OCOR are used as, for example, intermediates for producing water- and oil-repellent agents, surfactants, mold release agents, and other useful substances.
As a process for synthesizing such esters, a known process is to heat a halogenated compound represented by a formula RfCH2CH2Y (Y is Br or I) and an alkali metal salt of carboxylic acid in an alcohol solvent (See Patent Citation 1). After the esterification reaction, a reaction mixture comprising by-products, alcohol as the solvent and so on in addition to ester as the target product can be subjected to a rectification procedure to obtain the target ester.
Suitable alcohols used in the above ester synthesizing process (for example, tert-amyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, and the like) are relatively expensive, thus it is preferred that alcohol is collected as much as possible after the reaction and reused as the solvent for the esterification reaction.
Patent Citation 1: JP 39-18112 B1
Patent Citation 2: JP 59-29047 B2